(Reuters) - The United States deployed 150 paratroopers to Lithuania on Saturday, part of efforts by Washington to reassure its eastern European allies, worried by events in Ukraine, that NATO would offer protection if they face Russian aggression.

I just don’t see anything good coming out of this. On the positive side....as miserable as guys were in Iraq and Afghanistan....Lithuania will be paradise, which invites trouble via alcohol and hookers.

For the moment, Lithuania is on the free side of the ledger. One way or another, that is likely to change drastically. Also immediately endangered are temporarily free countries: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, etc. For our part, we will continue the dismantling of our military while giving lip service to international leadership. Reagan’s freedom through strength concept is long gone.

I'm of Lithuanian descent, both sides of my family. My dad and uncles fought in WWII. I'm a Vietnam Era USAF veteran. It was Lithuania that led the fight for independence for the Baltic States from the Soviet Union. They're tough, unconventional fighters, as was proven and Afghanistan fighting the Taliban, who feared the Lituanians. In the days of old, Lithuanians fought a "berserker" style of warfare and were much feared and respected. Don't underestimate and besmirch Lithuanians!

11
posted on 04/26/2014 9:12:55 AM PDT
by rochester_veteran
(All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)

What are you talking about? There's no question of law regarding where US troops can be ordered to go abroad-- Jefferson ordered action against the Barbary Pirates without any Congressional authorization.

As much as I despise that criminal Obama, I still respect the office and its legitimate powers.

13
posted on 04/26/2014 9:16:59 AM PDT
by pierrem15
(Claudius: "Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out.")

Two guys who played football with my son in HS have been or are currently in the 173rd. One friend was in Chosin Battalion and saw combat in Afghanistan. He’s currently in college and in Army ROTC and will get his commission in two years. The other friend is currently on active duty with the 173rd and could very well be a part of this deployment to the Baltic States.

15
posted on 04/26/2014 9:19:08 AM PDT
by rochester_veteran
(All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)

I can’t imagine that Putin would want to invade Lithuania. What is the point of sending our paratroopers there? If the US attacked Ukraine from there, couldn’t it get Lithuania sucked into a war? Besides that, every single “spontaneious uprising” for freedom has been engineered by US/globalist/banker interests. Why would Lithuania want to risk such inspiration there?

When was the last time you were around any American service members? If you were lately, you’d know that even now the numbers that are homos is not many. Unless you’re an attendee of Westboro Baptist Church, keep in mind that most people serving in our military are patriots. If you cannot handle that, then God help your ignorance.

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia taken together would connect the small part of Russia just south west of Lithuania and north of Poland - currently isolated from the Motherland.

Also Russia would gain more ports to operate out of.

Like the Ukraine taken as a whole gives Russia many closed mil bases, a warm water port (the Crimea).

Unmentioned as yet is Russia taking Kazakhstan to gain free access to the Baikonur Cosmodrome were all Russian manned missions are launched from as well as were its future plans to colonize the Moon will begin.

24
posted on 04/26/2014 9:54:55 AM PDT
by PIF
(They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)

Unmentioned as yet is Russia taking Kazakhstan to gain free access to the Baikonur Cosmodrome were all Russian manned missions are launched from as well as were its future plans to colonize the Moon will begin.

I’m agreeing with you! The Lithuanians don’t need the US to defend them, and by troops being there they risk being dragged into someone else’s fight. Lithuania can take care of itself. It never lost its identity as a nation or a people, even when under the rule of others.

The Lithuanians want the US forces there. And as observed above, it's a nice posting for troops. Although the NATO F-16 jockeys learned right away that the pretty girl at the bar inviting them home comes with three burly men with lead pipes.

Putin wants to change the current world order. Discrediting NATO and with that the other alliances USA has would be a step toward it. Nothing is happening in the next few years in Lithuania and I think the place where he tries to challenge NATO is going to be Latvia. It is the weakest of the Baltic states and with the highest number of leftover sovok illegal immigrants.

Looks like the current escalation came too soon for him and he did not want to reveal himself just yet. He was perfectly happy with his corrupt puppet Yanukovych in power in Ukraine filling his pockets and weakening Ukrainian state. When Ukrainian people took his puppet down he had to act at the time not comfortable for him as he just can’t have Ukrainian people depose their dictator and come out better off as he might very well be next.

Your premise seems a bit of a stretch. The Barbary Pirates were a clear and direct threat to the well being of citizens of this country who had rights of free passage and to the vital commercial interests of this nation. I question that the same can be said for The Ukraine where the issue is really more one of Civil War though Russia would like to dictate the winner and the people have already spoken in favor of that winner by election of a pro-Russia president that has been ousted.

I said NATO as the commitment authority didn’t I?

The question is really about intent and outcome though. Can he expand the NATO commitment to combat without consent from Congress? It seems so. This isn’t the same as sending troops to chase a bunch of insurgents around central africa.

Do you think that the next step of engaging limited numbers of troops in what would almost surely be a fatal or large and escalating action is part of “legitimate powers”. It sounds more like irresponsible reckless folly to me. Not all things that are permissible are the right thing to do are they?

the people have already spoken in favor of that winner by election of a pro-Russia president that has been ousted

That in not accurate. While Yanukovich was elected rather fairly he was elected into a different position as by 2004 constitutional President did not have much power. The amendment was passed after the Orange revolution and 90% of the legislators voted for it. He managed to use his limited power together with corrupt judges to overturn the constitution claiming there had been procedural errors 6 years ago and started to use the old 1996 constitution, that gave him very large powers.

It began to became clear that he is consolidating his power and there might be no more fair elections ever.

He was also impeached by legal parliament, who had given up on him. Also the 2004 constitution was restored. And new elections were scheduled. Russia tries to paint it as a coup and the new government a junta, but it might be the first time when the first decision of a junta is scheduling early elections.

Jefferson ordered more frigates (Legislation for the frigates drafted before he even became President) into the Mediterranean (For defensive means) and that was it. Jefferson waited, Congressional approval to "offensively" act and got that approval in February 6, 1802 when Congress passed the Act for Protection of Commerce and Seamen of the United States Against Tripolitan Corsairs.

dfwgator posted: A lot of people dont realize this, but Kosciuszko identified himself as a Lithuanian.

Good to hear from you again, dfwgator! How have you been? I didn't know that Kosciuszko identified himself as Lithuanian. Thanks for filling us in!

grania posted: every single spontaneious uprising for freedom has been engineered by US/globalist/banker interests

Not in Lithuania, it was a grass roots uprising. Here in Rochester, NY, there was a Lithuanian-American young man who did a walk across Lithuania for a fundraiser for the uprising. Many Lithuanian-Americans, including myself, donated to the cause.

38
posted on 04/26/2014 11:07:23 AM PDT
by rochester_veteran
(All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)

I have relatives in Lithuania...took me a long time to find these relatives, and I worry greatly for them. One of my Lithuanian relatives was a freedom fighter for Lithuania in WWII. He refused to join Stalin's Red Army when they marched into Lithuania, as the Nazi's were running out of Lithuania. The soviet soldiers rounded up all the freedom fighters who wouldn't fight with the soviets and shot them in front of their families. They then desecrated their bodies. After the war ended, the townspeople dug up the remains of these brave fighters and buried them in a common grave, with a headstone listing all of their names. I have a picture of that headstone.

150 guys won’t be able to defend against a massive Soviet tank attack. We have taken hundreds of thousands of troops out of Europe, Germany, etc. since the First Gulf War. We no longer are on the border’s to defend the Fulda Gap. The Soviets now have a short trip across the borders and no massive US Army tanks, troops and US Air Force fighters to defend Western Europe from a Soviet attack. The Cold War ended and we came home. The Soviets have built back up. All that gas and oil money is giving Czar Putin plenty of cash to build back up his military. Russia and the Red Chinese are building up and Czar Obama is cutting US forces back to pre-WWII levels. That means there is no way we have the forces to stop either of them from doing what they want to do.

Between here and other sites like Brietbart’s, I have to come to the conclusion that the allure of a “religious” strongman is too much of an attraction. The are a good number of folks that believe the Constitution has been changed and manipulated beyond repair and that there is a need for an autocratic leader who will punish all the traitors and deviants.

I don’t like that at all. A dictator always leaves destruction and chaos if overthrown. By definition he is autocratic and not to be disagreed with. I won’t submit to an autocracy by Obama or a Putin - lite.

Yep, unlike Muslims, observant Christians don’t threaten to kill everyone who has a different version of Christianity or other faith. Christianity went through several centuries of that but have seen faith wars for the insanity they are.

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